Istanbul:Many Lives Imper City

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

“Whoever ends up possessing Constantinople will govern the world,” Napoleon Bonaparte once declared. Even though Napoleon erred, the city has been the seat of powerful empires from which Romans, Byzantines, and – after 1453 – Ottomans ruled vast multi-ethnic and multi-religious populations. Now the major city of the Turkish Republic, Istanbul harbors, oftentimes uneasily, the heritage and memory of all three alongside a much more recent but equally powerful Turkish nationalism. Students explore the political and cultural history of Istanbul as an imperial capital and its transformation under the modern Turkish Republic into Europe’s largest city through historical primary sources, film, fiction, music, memoirs, and relevant secondary sources. The course has an embedded travel component with faculty during Spring Break. Course registration is by faculty approval and requires completing the application and selection during October 2025. SO/JR/SR are eligible to apply. Completion of INAF1010-13, HIST1602, or HIST4605 strongly recommended.